Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-08-20

- Q "Wo1k-osOuo1~ ~ 0syonsS usuDoo1e
b Mr. I'm. d. BameeA Il lc0o AlsA JoAa
Wood sasg II In New Ofisans during Ne pss.
iormancs of .the burlssqus oi "PooahoataA"
and rsarrsngsd, and q oncs caught the pcpu.
iar fancy. Another almost equally popular
Southeru war song. The "Bcnnie Bius FlaG,"
had very similar origin and started from
werv written by IN Irish comedian, Harry
Mccarthy, and the song was hrSt sung by his
stster, Mies Marion Mccarthy, at the Varieties
Theatre, In lstl" The publisher was Mr.. A.
"msde II very profitable by finlng every
man, woman, or child who sAng, whtstled, or
played Il on any instrument, $25 !" while the
publisher himself Vas arrested, fined $500,
and had his sheet music destroyed!
MIR. George r. Koot, Of Chicago, who hes
written and published . large number OF
sunday school and other sacred songA was
tue author and composer Of some Of the bsst
known songs OF the war, some of which still
survive, ~ for example, " Just Before the
Battle, Mother" The Battle Cry Of Freo.
dom," and Tramp, Tramp, Tramp; tho
The song that now, more than twenty
yearS after the war, seems 10 be the most
general favorite, Is Marching Through
Georgia." which was written aud set to
music by the late Mr.. Henry q. Work, the
author OF "Wake NicOdemus," Kingdom
Coming" and Babylon Is Fallen" ~ also
Of two other war songs popular at the time,
Drafted into the Army" and Brave Boys
are They" The last Of these was sung at
the camp-tres OF the South almost - much
- NJ the North.
ave are Coming Father Abraham" was
| long aud universally attributed to Bryant
Its appearance first IN the New York Eren.
| ing Post gave color to this supposition. Its
real author, however, WAS Hicksite Quaker,
| Mr.. John :. Gibbons, At one time financial
| editor Of the FrsHiny f0st. lie gives the
following interesting account OF how no came
to write the stirring song:
| He was taking walk, just after Lincoln 4
proclamation, in lSi4, calling for three hun.
| dred thousand volunteers 81 began to con
over song" he writes "Ths words seemed
| to fall into ranks aud files, and to come with
/ Q measured step. Directly would come
along n company of soldiers with fife and
drum, and that helped the matter amazingly.
| Thousand mors.--lt WAS very natural TO an
swer the presidents call-we are coming
and to prefix the term Jnthe,. Then tho line
| would follow
we arc coming. Father Abraham
and nothing WAS more natural than the mum
her OF soldiers wanted,
Three hundred thousand more
/ We are coming, Father Abraham, three hun
dred thousand more
Where fiom! More Is the rhyme wanted
just then came along "a Western regimen
from Minnesota 1t was-and the line cam,
at once in fun,
From Missis.ippis winding stream. and fron
New England's shore
Two lines In full .. Then followed
| how naturally
1--we leave our plows and workshops. our wive
L and children de ar,
i with hearts too full for uttsrance, with but
silent tear.
| Aud 30 1t went on, word by word, line b!
| line, until the whole song WAS made"
| was set to music by one OF the famous Hutch
inson family, and sung by them with grss
| effect
The origin and history OF many other war
songs Is given In full In the article frou
which l have quoted. But still there are
number of whose genesis and growth littl
definite is known. The field Is one full O
interest, ana as full OF important results, 4
him who will patiently cultivate il
USCAs.